The Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train (Spanish: Tren turístico Puebla-Cholula) was a tram-train railway line that connected the city centre of Puebla with the tourist zone in Cholula in the Mexican state of Puebla. Operation began in January 2017 and ended in December 2021.
| Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train at Cholula Station | |||
| Overview | |||
| Owner | Government of the State of Puebla | ||
| Locale | State of Puebla | ||
| Termini | |||
| Stations | 2 | ||
| Website | https://www.trenturisticopueblacholula.com/ | ||
| Service | |||
| Type | Tram-train | ||
| History | |||
| Opened | 23 January 2017 | ||
| Closed | 31 December 2021 | ||
| Technical | |||
| Line length | 17.4 km (10.8 mi) | ||
| Track gauge | 1,435 mm (4 ft 8+1⁄2 in) standard gauge | ||
| |||
History
editThe project was announced in July 2015 by Puebla State Governor Rafael Moreno Valle Rosas.[1] Construction began in November 2015 and was completed in early 2017 when it was inaugurated by President Enrique Peña Nieto and Governor Moreno Valle.[2] Initially budgeted to cost 800 million pesos, final project costs totaled 1,113 million pesos.[3]
Route
editThe 17.4 km (10.8 mi) single-track route largely utilized existing rail rights-of-way to the north and west of the city of Puebla. The route began at the National Railway Museum in Puebla's city centre. The first 2 km (1.2 mi) of the route operated as a tram line without any stops along city streets with mixed vehicle traffic. The remainder of the route utilized a dedicated at-grade right-of-way from Puebla to Cholula Station adjacent to the Cholula Archaeological Zone. An additional two intermediate stops, Mercado Hidalgo Station and Momoxpan Station, were constructed but have not been opened.[3]
Operations
editThe Puebla-Cholula Tourist Train's rolling stock consisted of two three-car diesel-electric 38 m (125 ft)-long trains supplied by Vossloh.[4] The trains have a capacity of 284 people.[2] Average train speed was 30 km/h and the approximate travel time between Puebla and Cholula was 40 minutes. There were three daily departures from each terminal on weekdays and nine daily departures from each terminal on weekends and holidays.[5]
Total passengers in 2019 numbered 161,377.[6]
Operations ended on 31 December 2021 due to a lack of profitability.[7] The rolling stock was transferred to the Tren Interoceánico in the states of Veracruz and Oaxaca.[8]
References
edit- ^ Martell, Mario (11 September 2015). "Gobierno estatal quiere adjudicar de manera directa el tren Puebla-Cholula". Intolerancia. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ a b "Puebla tram-train inaugurated". Metro Report International. DVV Media International. 25 January 2017. Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
- ^ a b de Jesús López, Esteban (1 August 2018). "A un año de su operación, estaciones intermedias del millonario Tren Turístico Puebla-Cholula ¡no funcionan!". Periodico Central. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Diesel tram-trains for Puebla". Metro Report International. DVV Media International. 2 December 2015. Archived from the original on 16 August 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Horarios". Tren turístico Puebla-Cholula. Gobierno de Puebla. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Pulso del Sector Ferroviario Mexicano - Diciembre 2019". Gobierno de México. Agencia Reguladora del Transporte Ferroviario. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 26 September 2020.
- ^ "Puebla tram-train ceases operation". Metro Report International. DVV Media International. 11 January 2022. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ "De Puebla para el Istmo: así será el tren de pasajeros del Corredor Interoceánico". Radio Fórmula. 11 September 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2024.